Steam generators are known for evaporating water into steam. Such steam generators are used in steaming devices, such as steam system irons, to produce steam. The steam may then be used to provide a treatment, for example, application to fabric of garments to remove creases.
Pressurised steam generators generally comprise a boiler comprising a chamber for receiving water and a heater for heating the water in the chamber and converting it into steam. Water is fed into the chamber via a water inlet, and steam exits the chamber via a steam outlet. Water fed into the chamber generally contains some impurities. During use of the steam generator, contaminants are left behind in the chamber as the water is evaporated and flows from the chamber. The accumulation of these contaminants over time promotes a phenomenon known as foaming. Foaming involves water bubbles being created due to the presence of the contaminants. The creation of these water bubbles in the chamber is known to cause water to flow through out through the steam outlet together with steam. This causes water droplets to be deposited on the fabric.
It is also known to use a water level sensor to determine the volume of water in the chamber, and therefore control the supply of water to the chamber. However, foaming may cause a false positive to be detected by the water level sensor, for example by water bubbles coming into contact with the water level sensor. This may cause the volume of water to fall to an undesirable level.